Iron VS Words
by Medley Nightfallen
Summary: Basically, it was supposed to be a simple banal mission they had to accomplish in order to strengthen their bond... not to mention the machiavelic plans of their opponents... rated T for Gajeel's mouth. Author: Suki
1. Surprising mission part 1

**Hey this is Medley Nightfallen! I finally found a beta reader and she's correcting those chapters for me! As a consequence, I've deleted the next chapters because I wanted to take a fresh start with this corrected version (yes, because unfortunately for you, I am still french and my english is far from perfect, so I prefer to "erase my mistakes-that-ruin-the-story"). So I hope you'll enjoy better now!**

His chin comfortably secured in his right palm, his elbow resting on the wooden support of the counter and his eyes closed, Gajeel Redfox was trying to ignore the loud diatribe coming from the man in the next seat. A giant, dark-skinned man with white hair, he kept harping on and on; as usual, it was some nonsense or other about the "duty of a man." Gajeel was beginning to believe that he was incapable of talking about anything else.

"Oi, buddy! Are you listening?" Elfman asked in his deep, bass voice.

"I'm going to answer truthfully," the Iron Dragon Slayer said, laying his garnet eyes on him. "…Nope."

"But a man always listens when someone is speaking!"

Gajeel cocked an eyebrow.

"Y'know, you're a weird guy," he mused.

"I'm not weird! I'm a man!"

"So – what? Are you telling me I'm not a man, huh? So I'm, what? A chick?" Gajeel's fangs flashed as Elfman sneered.

"No. You're a creepy bastard-" the Dragon Slayer twitched- "-An antisocial loner who's sorely lacking manners and spends time eating metal-"

"Shut-"

"And I don't even understand why people talk to you! Especially Nab and Alzack-"

"WILL YOU FUCKING SHUT UP ALREADY?"

Instinctively, they both rose, eyes clashing with anger, and as one, like some strange, grotesque ballet, their right arms flared with magic-

"_Iron Dragon Club!"_

"_Beast Arm: Iron Bull!"_

-before they rushed each other, swearing and spitting insults. Macao, already tipsy for so early in the afternoon, jumped on the counter with a full mug of beer in hand, and declared the general battle open to all comers. Enthusiastic shouts rang through the hall, signaling another fight about to burst in Fairy Tail's Guild Hall. Wakaba stood and punched his old drinking friend, sending him flying to face-first into a tabletop after a mid-air collision with some poor waitress. The girl tripped and crashed into Erza, resulting in her precious strawberry cake dropping with a _splat_ to the floor.

"M-my… my strawberry cake…"

The waitress, all too aware of what was about to happen, promptly apologized and fled for her life, while Titania began to shake, eyes fixed on the scattered remains of her beloved cake… and weak point. Her cheeks flushed scarlet, her temper boiling. Within moments, she – and the table she had been sitting at – exploded, and she violently kicked the first person she saw between the legs. Her victim collapsed heavily, tears in his eyes.

"F-for once… it… it wasn't me, Erza!"

"GREY-SAMA!" Juvia screamed, hysterical, and she threw herself dramatically onto the man. "Are you alright, Grey-sama?"

"I'M ALL FIRED UP, GAJEEL!"

The Iron Dragon Slayer turned away from the Elfman-shaped hole in the opposite wall and glared at his best enemy with bored disdain. _Natsu… what does that hothead want from me now?_ he thought. Choosing to ignore him, Gajeel growled and turned his back on Salamander, a clear sign that he couldn't care less about the Fire Dragon Slayer.

"AAAH! You creep! You _moron!_" Natsu shrieked at his back.

Gajeel frowned and crossed his arms over his chest, a devilish smile on his lips.

"Who're you calling moron?"

"Duh, you,_ moron!_ You mutant hedgehog!"

"Wha- I'LL CRUSH YOUR SKULL IN, YOU PINKY CHICK!"

And a new fight ignited between them, one among many that neither would ever claim victory in. Lucy sighed, ready to slam her head against the table. Neither of them was very bright; in fact, both seemed bound and determined to prove their stubborn stupidity. After Natsu and Grey's long-standing rivalry, here now the roots of another were taking hold of the two Dragon Slayers.

"Watch out, Lucy! Poultry at three o'clock!" Alzack shouted, narrowly dodging said bird, flying in from nowhere, as it sailed toward the blond. She turned and yelped in horror as she saw a whole roast chicken rocketing toward her face. Without thinking, she mimicked the gunslinger, swiftly bending out of its way. A tremendous _thump_ rang in her ears, heralding its collision with someone else.

"Okay, who's the bastard that dared to throw this thing at me?" Cana yelled, wiping meat and grease from her face.

"It was Levy!" Max offered with a grin, as he dodged a blow from Nab.

"What? No! No, it wasn't!" the accused replied, outraged. "Cana, it wa- KYAAH!"

Diving left, Levy narrowly avoided the barrel that the alcoholic had just thrown. The aged wood, however, burst upon impact, and a cold flood of beer and splinters showered down on her, soaking her head to toe. Mouth half-open, she stared at the floor, struck dumb with surprise. She stood, then, quivering, body arched like an enraged cat, and pointed a blue-veiled fingertip at Cana, whilst the brunette drew three tarot cards from her bag.

"_Solid Script-"_

"_Card Magic-"_

"STOP!"

They all stopped what they were doing, heads turning toward the Master's office. He stood at its doorstep, frowning, back slightly bent. One hand rose to massage his wrinkled temples with the ease of long practice, drooping down to rub his chin. After a second, he cracked his neck and sharply rapped his cane on the floor.

"You are getting annoying, you brainless children. Well. Gajeel, in my office, now!"

The Dragon Slayer looked up questioningly, but reached for his bag and followed after the old man. _No doubt about it; I'm leaving for a mission soon_. A sigh escaped him, though it quickly turned into a growl. _Why the hell did I accept this mission? Oh yeah, to make amends…_

"You too, Levy-chan!" The Master's voice drifted down into the hall.

Choosing to ignore the daggers that Gajeel was glaring at him, Makarov noticed that the young girl hadn't fully understood him.

"You _too,_ Levy-chan."

After a few seconds, she nodded nervously, glaring at Cana. Then, with a forced smile, she followed, despite the knot that had tied itself in her throat.

With uncertainty, the two mages trailed after their Master, his office door closing behind them. All others watched with disconcerted gazes, with a single thought in all of their minds:

Why had Gajeel and Levy been called _together?_

~~0~~0~~0~~

"Hmph…"

"Problem, Gajeel?" the Master asked innocently.

"Yeah. What are we doing here?"

"I'm getting to that" Makarov replied, shuffling across the tiny room. "You can wait until I get to my seat, can't you?"

The Dragon Slayer smirked, cocking his head to one side.

"True, you _are_ too small to see us without it. Hn-"

"I'm not small!" the old man roared, slapping him.

"Yeah, yeah."

The ex-Phantom looked away, hands dug into the pockets of his trousers. He wasn't pleased – in fact, he was far from it. Normally, he left here alone. No one in the guild was aware of his mission. _So, could someone explain to me what Magnolia's biggest nerd is doing here with me? We're not exactly the best of pals, huh._

"You gonna explain this or what?" Gajeel finally demanded.

"What."

"That's it. I'm getting outta here." He pushed his seat back and stood up, Levy wincing at the squeal of wood on wood.

"Ah ah ah! You stay her, you damn kid! You and Levy-chan are going to Crocus."

At that, the Solid Script mage started violently, squeaking with surprise. Gajeel, however, whirled around, face twisted in a vicious snarl that would have scared the pee out a lesser man.

"_What?"_

"You. Levy-chan. Both of you. Mission. Crocus. Got it?" the Master pronounced each word slowly and deliberately, as though speaking to a child.

"WHAT?" Gajeel roared again.

Sighing slowly, Makarov wondered what on Earthland he could have done to deserve such fool. Vaguely, he pointed Levy toward the door, though she continued to stare at him as though he had just ordered her to kill innocent children. But justified response or not, things would never change at this rate.

"Go wash yourself," he ordered, struggling to keep his tone both firm and kind.

"Huh?" Levy could only gape stupidly at him. "What?"

"You're soaked; go wash yourself."

"Oh," she remarked, just now truly seeing the sorry state of her beery, splintery clothes and hair. She opened her mouth to speak again, but the Master continued on.

"Your train tickets are already reserved. You leave in one hour. As for the mission, I will explain everything to Gajeel. Meanwhile, go prepare your stuff, okay?"

"Oi! I didn't agree to that!" the black-haired man replied, violently stomping the floor. "What's this fucking shit?"

"Levy-chan, leave. Please," Makarov asked, standing up in his chair.

Instantly, the young woman spun and silently left the room as the atmosphere gradually turned –

"Well, you old camel?"

"WHAT WAS THAT, YOU BRAT?"

-electric, to say the least.

~~0~~0~~0~~

Levy grabbed a navy blue towel and wrapped it around her head, vigorously rubbing her mass of hair. She looked around for her favorite headband, and caught a glimpse of her reflection in the mirror. She smiled sadly, wondering _what next? _ But that was obvious; _ I'm leaving on a mission. A mission with… with __**him**_**.**

"You done yet?"

She shivered slightly at the hoarse, rocky voice; she knew it too well. Speak of the devil… Mechanically, she tied her damp hair up in the orange ribbon and stole a last glance at the mirror.

"I'm ready. You can come in."

The handle turned and the door opened, revealing the very same man who had been occupying her thoughts, his massive figure taking up far more of the doorframe than she was completely comfortable with. Face twisted in stubborn rebellion, Gajeel contemplated her for a long time, further discomfiting her. Finally, he moved; he shifted a little, pulled a khaki shoulder bag from his back and threw it at her. Levy caught it, raising a questioning eyebrow.

"What's- ?" she began.

"Your things," he answered simply.

"But-"

"Bisca put it together, alright?"Gajeel snorted at the implication.

"Oh, okay."

At a loss for words, Levy tossed her towel in the hamper and adjusted her jeans, put on a large gray coat and slung the bag across one shoulder.

"Are – are we leaving?" she ventured.

"Yeah," the Dragon Slayer grunted, choosing not to elaborate.

She shook her head gently and quickly followed as he left the bathroom. Taking care to close the door behind her, something terrible occurred to her. Jett and Droy would take this badly. _Very_ badly. Especially because she'd have no time to warn them, although she knew she could count on Lucy to tell them. But still… _It's all so sudden, isn't it? _ she thought. The Master certainly had to have a plan. _But what was it?_

"Op, op, op! Where do you think you're going?"

The new "team" looked down, staring at a visibly angry Master Makarov.

"Uh, doing the mission." Gajeel rolled his eyes.

"Is that so?" Makarov thundered. "Without knowing exactly where you have to go?"

Frustrated, Levy glanced at the Dragon Slayer, who growled back from the balcony.

"What? Got a problem with that?"

"No, not at all." The Master waved a mockingly dismissive hand at the pair. Gajeel snorted and turned away.

"You're going to Crocus. And you're going to stay in a hotel – the Ryokan SukiSuki."

"SUKISUKI?" the two mages yelled in unison, unsettled by the name. [1]

"Reassure me," Gajeel said in a tone that would paralyze most people. "It's not a… a Love Hotel, right?"

The Dragon Slayer seethed, an almost visible aura of anger and rage radiating toward the Master as he tried to find an answer, wondering what had possibly possessed Gajeel to ask that.

"Of course not!" he finally said, grinning. "Come on, Gajeel, stop talking nonsense. The client asked you to sleep there, that's all. Besides, I personally know the proprietor of the fine establishment."

Blacksteel, still uncertain, narrowed his red eyes and frowned, but he recognized a dismissal when he heard one.

"Well, if that's all… come on, let's go."

"Good-bye, Master!" Levy called, as one of Gajeel's massive arms began to drag her down the stairs.

Makarov sighed with relief, then turned and headed upstairs himself, locking himself in his office. At long last, he could focus on his favorite activity; reading. _Not that those brats appreciate __**my **__kind of literature…_

~~0~~0~~0~~

**Editor's Note: Hey, this is Evil Midget Turtle, here to officially say hi to you all. Medley asked me if I would mind helping her make this English translation more readable , and I was ecstatic to say yes. Here's hoping you all enjoy my adaptation of _Iron Vs Words_; I tried to add my own style when there were gaps, but stay true to original feel of the piece. For example, I myself stay away from strong language, but well, this isn't my story, right? And besides, when Gajeel throws a tantrum, he'll say what he darn well pleases. Anyway, I split the chapters into half, as they're really long and I'm busy, and that also keeps us at the top of the boards. So enjoy, chapter 2 (1.5?) will be up hopefully with a week or two.**

**[1] In Japanese, "suki" means "like".**


	2. Surprising mission part 2

Sitting beside Juvia and Cana, Lucy was playing with one of her honey-colored locks. Her eyes were clouded and distant; she was lost deep in her thoughts. One single question ran through her mind: _Why had Gajeel and Levy been called __**together**_? Why did Bisca have to prepare her a bag? Makarov couldn't possibly be sending _them_ on a mission. Could he?

"Lucy. _Lucy._ LUCY!" the brunette exclaimed from her right, startling her from her reverie.

"Oh! Yeah, sorry, I was just thinking."

"Oh? About what?" Cana pressed.

"Huh… guess," was all Lucy would say.

"I get it." With one swift motion, Cana downed the dregs of her barrel and proceeded to pull a fresh one onto the table as she addressed the other girl. "What about you, Juvia? What do you think about it?"

The blue-haired rain-woman blinked solemnly, sighing softly.

"Juvia believes Gajeel-kun is very unhappy about it."

"Well, sure," Cana scoffed, rolling her eyes, "did you see his face when he asked Bisca to prepare Levy's bag?"

"Ye-aaaaah," Lucy said, drawing the word out, unsure, "but they can't _possibly_ go on a mission together!"

"Got a problem with that, Bunny-girl?"

All three women jumped on their chairs and turned, ashen-faced, their eyes on the pair behind them. After a second of shocked, silent staring, the Celestial Spirit mage shook her head and launched herself onto Levy.

"No! Really? Tell me you're not!" Lucy cried. It wasn't that she didn't trust Gajeel; he had more than proven his loyalties – and his secret good-guy side – during the episodes with Laxus and Oracion Seís. It was just that he was so _big_, and Levy was so _small_; and that Gajeel was so… so… well, if anyone knew the inherent dangers of a young beautiful girl travelling alone with a short-tempered Dragon Slayer, it was Lucy. And besides – _Gajeel and Levy!_

Levy, for her part, only shook her head again, forcing her face into what she hoped was a confident grin, and took Lucy's hand.

"Sorry, Lu-chan. Could you warn Jett and Droy about this for me, please?"

"Er, yeah, but… when are you leaving?" the blond asked, brows knit in confusion.

"Right now," the Dragon Slayer answered for her, a mocking laugh in his voice.

"Wh- _now?"_ Lucy yelped.

"Yeah. C'mon, shorty, let's go."

"Bye, girls!" Levy called, yet again being dragged along, the back of her shirt clutched tightly in one of Gajeel's massive fists.

"Have a nice mission, Levy-chan!" Juvia called brightly after them, "Don't be too rough with her, Gajeel-kun."

"Hmph," said Dragon Slayer grunted in response.

Beside Juvia, Lucy stood spluttering at the incomprehensibility of Levy's situation and the injustice of the predicament she now faced because of it. She only hoped Jett and Droy knew the meaning of "don't shoot the messenger." Just as the odd pair reached the door, Cana finally placed her keg back on the table and shouted at their backs, the liquor blunting her tact.

"Oy! You've got to train your dragon, Levy!"

Gajeel instantly loosed his grip on Levy's shirt as a jolt of rage shot through him. Levy, face flushed and with steel in her eyes, majestically ignored the drunken comment, striding back to lightly kiss Lucy on the cheek, wave farewell to the others, and walk straight-backed toward the exit. Gajeel shot Cana a flaming, thunderous glare, growled in the back of his throat, and stalked after his new partner at a quick, furious pace.

~~0~~0~~0~~

Levy shook her thick blue hair, readjusted the bag on her shoulder, and brought her hands to her mouth, blowing gently upon them. A thin cloud escaped from her lips at every breath, dissipating into the chill November air. Discretely, she glanced over at Gajeel, walking beside her, seemingly unaffected by the cold. He was half a head taller than her, and to her mind she seemed quite pathetic compared to him.

She noticed the scowl drawn across his face, and Levy couldn't quite help but think that he'd been getting softer over the month since Fantasia. Sure, he was still aggressive and rude and-

"Stop starin' at me."

_Never mind, I take it all back,_ Levy thought, hurrying to look away and locking her eyes on the sidewalk. A familiar growl met her ears; a shiver ran down her spine. _Yes, never mind, he is – and always will be – Gajeel, the aggressive and antisocial psychopath. _But deep down, she knew he wasn't like that. At least, she hoped he wasn't…

And she hoped that he wouldn't bully her too much during the mission…

~~0~~0~~0~~

After crossing a good part of the city, the pair had finally reached the train station. Unfortunately, today was Sunday. Sunday, also known as the beginning of the return to work on Monday. Magnolia, a popular tourist town, often saw floods of visitors crammed into the station Friday afternoons to kick off the weekend, and the same crowd of people flocked back on Sunday afternoon to return home. Simply put, the place was packed.

Gajeel was ready to bet that Makarov had booked them on the five o'clock train purely to piss him off.

And if that wasn't enough, everyone was staring at them. Well, that he could understand; it was a normal reaction. It wasn't every day that he walked down the street with this pipsqueak of a girl. But couldn't they at least _try_ to be discrete?

"Levy!"

An unfamiliar voice called over the noise, and Gajeel watched her crane her neck in a futile attempt to peer over the crowd.

_Oh, here we go, _he thought. _Just what we needed. Someone just couldn't mind his own business, huh? And at the last moment, too._

A young man pushed through to their side, and it was dislike at first sight for the dragon. A sneer crept onto his face before he could stop it, not that he wanted to.

_And who is this dude, all dressed up like… like a __**rapper**__? Cuz that's what you look like. Didn't anyone tell you that big golden chains were __**way**__ out of fashion?_

"Dublin?" Levy's voice was barely audible above the din of the crowd.

_Oh, yeah! Dublin!_ Gajeel smirked inwardly. He had no idea who the guy was, but apparently Bookworm did. Was he a Fairy Tail mage? No, he couldn't feel any magic from the guy. Her boyfriend, then? Another inward smirk. For one, he highly doubted this girl could get a boyfriend, and for another if he really was… well, then. She had very, _very _bad taste.

"What are you doing here?" Levy asked, and her face failed to suppress a strained expression as her eyes watched the seconds tick by.

"Well, I was helping my mother to arrange her zucchini stand-"

_Oh, how interesting! NOT!_ Gajeel fumed silently, his fists tightening around the straps of his travel pack. What the hell did they care about his fucking life, damn it! And why didn't he just stay with his zucchinis instead of pissing them off?

"When I saw you with… er, what's your name, again?"

_Hilarious._

A devilish smile spread across the Dragon Slayer's lips as he crossed his arms over his chest and nonchalantly threw his head back.

"Really, as if you forgot," he scoffed.

"Come on, Dublin. It's Gajeel," the Solid Script mage reminded him gently.

"Oh, right! The ex-Phantom, right?"

The next second, the poor boy found himself suspended in the air by the collar of his shabby, oversized pullover.

"Got something against the fact that I come from Phantom Lord?" Gajeel roared. "What, not saying anything? Coward, tsk."

Shoving his face into the boy's, he sneered again, something Gajeel knew all too well how to do, then dropped him roughly on the ground and retrieved his bag.

"Now," he said, glaring down from his full height, "if you've got something to say to the bookworm, hurry up and say it. We don't have time to waste with you."

"B-be careful, Levy-chan…"

The young man stammered and blushed slightly, obviously expecting her to thank him for his kindness, but Levy didn't answer. He glanced at her, and her face was set in a mask of perfect indifference. Resignedly, he bid her goodbye one last time before turning on his heel and disappearing into the crowd toward the main street.

Gajeel raised a questioning brow at his comrade, she still not saying a word. She was Dublin's friend, so she should have defended the guy, right?

"Hey, you not gonna say anything?" he prodded.

She looked up and contemplated him for a moment, her gaze unwavering, royal, emotionless. At first, Gajeel was surprised, but recovered quickly and locked his eyes on hers, his trademark smirk back on. Green and red, emerald and ruby stared each other down. An unspoken battle of wills flashed between them.

After a few long seconds, she looked away.

"Say anything about what?" she replied in her best bored tone.

She was gratified by the responding hoarse grunt from deep in the Dragon Slayer's throat. A small smile finally found its way to her face before she noticed the conductor waving grandly from the edge of the platform. All anger and resentment she had felt when Dublin had mentioned Phantom Lord disappeared in an instant, only to be immediately replaced by the fear of missing the last train to the capitol. Instinctively, she pulled her large bag down under her arm and began to run, the black-haired man's gaze following her. He hadn't noticed it, yet.

"THE TRAIN!" she screamed at him.

A shrill whistle resounded throughout the entire station, and Gajeel finally understood the gravity of the situation. Without another thought, he tore after her.

"Hey, wait!"

Sputtering black smoke rose from the stack and the wheels began to roll forward, adding to the deafening racket.

"Shit! The bastard's leaving without us!"

Rolling his eyes, Gajeel cursed the fool that'd had the great idea to hold them up, but more so the fool that had decided to send him and the girl on a mission together. Cursing one last time, he quickened his pace and caught Levy by the waist. She bit back a surprised scream, feeling something suddenly grip her stomach and her back.

"One, two –" Gajeel said in her ear.

"Huh?"

"Three!"

Levy's mind couldn't process what had just happened; in an instant, she couldn't feel the ground under her feet anymore. He had just jumped, and thus, so had she. Stifling another scream, she saw the back of the train come flying toward them.

She wondered what would happen if they missed. Her throat tightened, and her eyes squeezed shut. A thud rang from under her feet, which had just hit the floor violently, and she staggered back from the impact. The wind whipped viciously across her face before something warm and hard brushed past her shoulders.

Levy's fall stopped abruptly and her heart skipped a beat. She risked cracking open an eye to see just what had caught her.

"Can ya get off of me? Not that you're heavy, but still…"

Gajeel's face filled her vision, seemingly unaffected by the added weight his arms were supporting. Nervously nodding, she obeyed, gripping his outstretched arms to move away. He'd had good enough reflexes to catch the wooden columns of the back porch, preventing them from crashing onto the dusty, rocky tracks. Stammering slightly, she helped him to rise as well.

"That was close, huh?" he smirked.

"You are a complete-" Levy began.

"Yeah?"

"Oh, never mind," she huffed.

Mechanically, she dusted her jeans and tied her headband back into a proper position. Gajeel merely rubbed his slightly sore arms, studying her from head to toe as if he had just discovered something very interesting. Noticing his gaze, she frowned.

"What?" she demanded.

"Oh, nothing. It's just that I thought you were scared of the Big Bad Dragon!"

Levy blushed at his words and looked down again.

"Well, it's not that I'm afraid of you, but-"

"Yeah, yeah, I get it. Come on, get moving, Shrimp!"

She squinted, wondering if this was indeed the Gajeel she knew. However, now that she thought about it, she didn't really know him that much at all; she realized that this mission could prove quite useful. Maybe she could learn more about this mystery of a man! Sure, she certainly couldn't learn a whole lot, but at least a little, maybe. Then, gradually, she might manage to bury her fears, her pain. The proof was right in front of her – she had just had a casual conversation with him.

A faint smile drew itself across her beautiful rosy lips, and she opened the door and rushed onboard, searching for an empty compartment. Gajeel was about to follow her when a cold shiver ran down his spine. Mouth twisted in a bitter grimace, he entered as well and joined the young woman who was calling him.

Outside, the paper raven flying near the train disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

~~0~~0~~0~~

Levy stole a quick glance at her watch; it was just now six o'clock. She sighed and set her eyes on the black-haired man, comfortably laid out on the seat facing her. He was asleep, his mouth slightly open, snoring softly; the sight made her laugh. She never thought that she would see the infamous Iron Dragon Slayer in this light. But then again, after his performance that day during the Sorcerer Weekly interview, who could know what to expect!

Biting back a mischievous smirk of her own, she turned her gaze away and resumed watching the landscape passing underneath them, her Sound-Board headphones pulled over her ears. A few minutes passed, her eyelids got heavier, her head began to lean against the back of the seat, and she lost herself in her thoughts.

An hour ago, she and Gajeel had arrived in the compartment and given their tickets to the conductor. He had been very surprised to see them arrive so unexpectedly, as the train had already been out of the station for a few minutes by then. Once they had explained about the incident with Dublin and had apologized – well, Levy had apologized – they had settled into the last empty cabin. She had seated herself on the left, and he had collapsed on the right.

Levy had noticed his concerned, annoyed expression, and had asked him what was going on. Frowning, he'd only answered that the mission pissed him off. It was only then that she'd realized that she knew the location of the mission and nothing else. Gajeel had explained the mission, in which she apparently played a starring role. Indeed, it consisted of translating an old grimoire; in this field, Levy was nothing short of an expert. Excited to finally play a bigger part in their task, she had asked why he'd been assigned.

"_To protect you_," he had replied, in that eternally mocking tone of his. It had been alleged that their clients had enemies…

Levy crossed her arms over her chest, opening her eyes and biting her cheek. Why did Master have to send her on a mission with _Gajeel_? She was perfectly capable of defending herself! A sulky pout appeared on her face, irritated by the perceived lack of trust from their Master. If he really wanted her not to go alone, he could have sent Erza, or Grey, or someone else with her… but no, he _had_ to choose Gajeel of all people! It wasn't that she didn't like the Dragon Slayer's company, but she had to admit, he wasn't exactly her closest friend, and the atmosphere was rather tense – a safe judgment, based on the thirty minutes of stormy silence before Gajeel had fallen asleep.

Suddenly, the train jolted. One bright red eye opened and, before Gajeel could react, he fell from his seat to crash heavily onto the floor. At the same time, Levy was propelled forward by the violence of the shock, surprised by it –

"What-!"

-before she tripped on Gajeel's foot and literally fell on top of him. She had pretty good reflexes, too, so her hand hit the floor first, but it still couldn't prevent her from landing straddled across his waist, her breasts against his chest, her face a few inches away from his. Gajeel's eyes widened like saucers, his mouth gaping open. Blushing heavily, Levy stammered as she apologized and stood quickly, feeling terribly ashamed.

Gajeel stood in turn, growling some profanity or other, while she wondered just what had happened.

"What's going on?" she asked desperately.

"How the hell should I know?" he shot back, still off-put. His ears twitched, and he climbed onto his bench, throwing their bags onto the floor. Levy caught hers, staring at him anxiously.

"FIRE! HELP, FIRE!" a voice screamed from the corridor.

"A DARK GUILD! HELPUS!" another one begged.

"Well, there's your answer," the Dragon Slayer mumbled, "and it's coming toward us."

"Huh? B-but why? It's not because of the mission, is it?" Levy stood rooted to the ground, numb with shock as Gajeel peered out into the hallway.

"Who knows."

Gajeel pulled his head in and turned the lock.

"Then what are we going to do now?"

"No idea!"

"Well, great, that's really helpful!"

**x_X**

**Gihihi! I hope that now the chapter is corrected by ****Evil Midget Turtle (Thank you very much! Marry me! xD) you are enjoying it fully! Please tell me what you think (puppy eyes)**

**See ya!**


	3. Pick your fight carefully

**I only own the translation and the mistakes. This fanfic belongs to Suki and most of the characters belong to Mashima. This version of the story was written by Evil Midget Turtle, thanks to her you can completely understand it, and I like it better this way! Thank you again!**

**Please enjoy and tell me what you think (for Suki and EMT! And a bit for me? ^w^)**

Why _me?_

Levy continued to ask herself that question over the course of the next two minutes, and her eyes seemed unable to turn away from the disaster that was unfolding in front of her. If they had been going for discretion, this really wasn't the best option. In fact, it was anything but discrete. Then again, this was Gajeel Redfox she was talking about, so…

"You _just_ said that we had to avoid notice, didn't you?" she asked him pointedly.

"Yeah, so what?"

"So _what?_ You just smashed the window!"

Rolling his eyes, the Dragon Slayer continued to knock the last shards of glass from the frame with an iron hand.

"Fuck! You're a real pain in the ass sometimes, you know? We gotta leave the train, so why not get out through here?" He glanced back over his shoulder at Levy with brows raised. "Unless you'd prefer to stay and fight the Dark Guild?"

"I- I didn't say that!" she squeaked.

"Then shut up."

And that was that; she made no more protests. Glad to see her finally show some sense, Gajeel burst into crude, mocking laughter, further vexing the irritated mage. He stopped after a moment and became serious again, and, frowning, he jumped through the window he had just destroyed.

Suppressing a sigh, Levy stepped out as well, careful not to fall. The last thing she needed was for him to have to catch her again.

"Hey, shouldn't we do something about the passengers?" she suddenly asked, glancing worriedly around her.

"Don't bother," he grunted over the wind.

"What?"

"Oy, are you deaf? I said don't bother. They won't hurt 'em, cuz we're the ones they're looking for."

Levy heaved another sigh, wondering again why she had to be stuck with a guy like this. He already gave her goosebumps, though she could stand that. _But why a moron?_ she cried in her head, because, yes, that was the perfect word for him. _Seriously, are all the Dragon Slayers really this stupid?_

Looking back at her, Gajeel noticed the annoyed, long-suffering look on her face.

"What? What's wrong with you now, Shrimp?"

"Are you really that self-centered?" Levy snapped. "Who said they were here for us?"

A snarl began to stretch across Gajeel's angular features, his own anger beginning to boil over.

"You know, you're starting to piss me off!"

"Apparently you're short-fused, too."

"Shut the hell up, damn it!"

Ignoring their dire straits, Levy looked away from the scathing glare he shot her way, staring at the currently burning front cars of the train. Just then, she heard cries of terror, and her blood froze in her veins. No matter what Gajeel had told her, she knew in her heart that she couldn't just leave, not when she knew there were innocent lives in danger. Mind made up, she readjusted her jacket and turned away from him, back toward the cries for help. She had just begun to move away before her new teammate had already grabbed her and forced her to turn around once more, making her face him.

"And where're you going, huh?" he growled.

"I-"

Gajeel's face lit in a devilish grin, and Levy realized what he was about to do as the rest of his bulky body moved toward her. Her escape attempt failed as he took her by the waist and scooped her into the air, tossing her onto his shoulder with the same ignoble air as he would a sack of potatoes. She grunted as his arm clamped tightly around her back.

"Sissy," he cursed, walking in _his_ chosen direction.

"Put me down!" Levy demanded, emphasizing each word with a whack to his muscular chest.

"Nope."

"_Please_, Gajeel!"

"I said no," he snorted, unfazed. _Whack, whack, whack_.

"But there are-"

"Not my fucking problem, damn it! The Royal Army will be here soon, okay?" Gajeel attempted to reason with her again. "Anyway, those guys are here for _us._"

"You don't know that!" Levy shouted, struggling in vain against his arm.

"Actually, I do - ack!"

He stopped short as he caught a kick in the jaw, his patience wearing dangerously thin.

"FUCK! You hafta calm down, Shorty, okay?" he yelled in her face.

"NO! Let me go _now_! Put me down! Gajeel!" she screamed.

"Yeah, let her go, dude."

Levy instantly stopped, and Gajeel arched an eyebrow, glancing at the new arrival as if this was a perfectly normal occurrence. A man, blond hair unkempt and too-blue eyes shining with malice, faced them, smirking viciously. The black-haired Dragon gritted his teeth and finally put the young mage down. She stood defensively behind him, lips pursed; clearly that man wasn't here for a friendly chat. As if on cue, a dozen or so men came from nowhere, surrounding them on the train roof.

"Oh," Gajeel began, baring his fangs, "_you're_ the Dark Guild? And I suppose you're here for the tiny bookworm, right?"

"I am _not_ a bookworm," she replied with a pout.

He didn't respond to her statement; he simply rolled his eyes and sighed. A second man stepped forward and cracked his knuckles menacingly. Unlike the first, he made an impressive figure. Well over six feet tall and incredibly massive, Levy felt ridiculously short and slender compared to him. Gajeel was tall, but this guy… this guy was practically a giant.

She grimaced, completely disgusted with the predatory leer that he lay upon her. The situation did not bode well for her.

"Give us the girl and we'll leave you alone!"

His loud declaration rang in the air around them as he stepped forward once more, arms spread and head cocked. Without warning, his mouth gaped open in hideous, demonic laughter, tongue wagging out madly. For an instant, Levy was strongly reminded of Bixlow.

Gajeel, for his part, clenched his teeth, trying to contain the waves of rage surging through him. These guys brought to mind Phantom Lord, Jose…and himself in the all-too-recent past. It was all hitting a little too close to home for him.

"Well, are you deaf or something? Cat got your tongue? _Hey_! I'm talking to you, hedgehog head!"

"Shut the hell up, bastard!" Gajeel suddenly roared, anger finally snapping. "Who d'you think you are, talking to me like that, huh? You want my fist into your shitty face?"

"Ooo-ooh! You react when I insult you, but not when I talk about the little lady?" the giant replied slyly. "She _is_ your friend, isn't she?"

Gajeel looked sidelong at the young woman standing behind him before cursing under his breath. Even if he felt like explaining – which he didn't – no one would understand. _So I may as well keep my mouth shut, right?_

"You want her?" he cajoled. "Well, then take her. I don't care about this girl."

"You – you don't care about her?" their enemy repeated, surprised.

"One less burden to bear, so yeah, whatever."

Ignoring that eloquent reply from the Dragon Slayer, Levy scrutinized the rest of their opponents. Her eyes fell on the blond man; he seemed to be the leader of the band. She studied him from head to toe, but soon found herself staring at his deep, beautiful sapphire eyes… _Wait, what?_ she thought.Shaking her head, Levy pulled herself together, all but convinced that she had almost succumb to some sort of charm spell. Black mages like these often used them in order to entertain themselves with young girls. _Sorry, jerk, but it's not going to happen! _She snapped back to reality in time to hear the conversation continue behind her.

"That pretty little damsel's a 'burden'? Either you're an ass or you're kidding!"

"She may be cute, but that doesn't mean she's not one more weight on my shoulders."

Levy rolled her eyes, more shocked by Gajeel's description of her than his opponent's. _Since when did he say things like that? Surely he's joking, right? _But no, she answered herself, because now was not time for joking, and it hadn't been very funny, anyway. Still, he did seem to be enjoying the situation. She had only to look into his eyes to see that. Levy had no idea what he was playing, but she knew deep down that this was merely a ruse. And so she decided to play as well, refusing to be the submissive little "damsel in distress."

"Like I said, I'll give her to you, I don't care. _What?" _Gajeel asked, as he noticed the slack-jawed stares of the gang. "Ah. Perhaps you'd have preferred me to play girlie's knight in shining armor, protecting her body and soul out of nothing more than some stupid code? Sorry, but no; I ain't no pansy!"

"It's called _chivalry_," she corrected flatly, breaking into the argument.

"Oy, you think I'm a chivalry kind of guy?"

"No. Are you really going to hand me over to them?"

She pouted up at him, and Gajeel turned to grin into her face.

"Yep, I'm really not kidding."

"Oh, really?" she scoffed. "What about Master's orders?"

"I don't care about that old coot! He shouldn't have sent me on a mission with _you!"_

If this was supposed to be a trap, why did Levy feel like they weren't pretending anymore?

"So what'll you do after you dump me, huh?"

"Duh, the mission, idiot!"

They were shouting in one another's faces now. The pair was completely oblivious to their attackers as they railed on.

"Really?" She poked a finger into his chest. "Then explain to me how _you're_ going to translate that thing!"

Gajeel rubbed his chin, growling as usual. The bookworm had a point; without her, it was obvious that he would fail the mission. After all, it was more her kind of thing than his. His face pulled into a horrid grimace, and he dug his gloved hands into the pockets of his trousers, an inner tirade already blaring through his head.

_All of this is the old man's fault! What was he thinking, sending me on a mission with her! Honestly, couldn't he have found someone else to be her bodyguard? Anyone could have gone with Shorty; so why me? "__**She has to learn to trust you,"**__ he said. Yeah, sure. Like that's just going to magically happen overnight._

"You're boring," Gajeel scoffed at last.

"Hmph."

"Hey, that's my shtick, get your own!"

"You got it copyrights?" Levy retorted, her voice dripping with scorn.

"Pht, one point to you, I guess," he huffed, turning his head away as he fought back a smile, "but I'd expect no less from Little Miss Bookworm."

A flush rose to Levy's cheeks and she stamped her foot indignantly.

"Would you stop calling me that? That nickname sucks!"

"And who said it's a nickname?" Gajeel's smile was visibly widening.

"Oh, so it's an insult, is it?"

"Tsk. Never mind, you're seriously pissing me off."

"Am I dreaming, or are they ignoring us?" asked the gang's leader, frowning. He shook his head in amazement before stepping forward to recapture his prey's attention. "Either way, we don't care. So if we take Girlie, it really wouldn't bother you?"

Gajeel turned to face them, and after a moment, he burst into hoarse, mocking laughter.

"Now that's funny. You actually believed that? Man, that's crazy; people will really believe all sorts of bullshit!"

The gang leader frowned deeper at that, and began to heave his gargantuan bulk to its fullest, most impressive height.

"Well, then. In that case, I guess I'll just have to take her by force…"

"You're kidding!" Gajeel laughed again, drawing his own massive body up. "Who do you think you are? Superman? Like hell you will!"

Levy sighed; it seemed that he was incapable of _not_ provoking people. She came to attention as their opponent rushed them, screaming an array of insults. The Iron Dragon Slayer pulled into a defensive stance just as the man reached them, and the two collided together.

"_Tenfold Magic: Zeus Fist!"_

His fist tripled in size in an instant, and Gajeel was forced to bear the full brunt of the attack, the blow sending him flying a few meters back.

"How pathetic," the giant man spat, his hand returning to normal. "Seems he was all bark and no bite. Well, well… your turn, sweetheart."

"Are you fucking serious?"

With a grunt, the ex-Phantom stood and put his hand to his right temple. His fingers came away red from the thin stream of blood there, and he raised an eyebrow as he saw them, only to shrug his shoulders and crack his neck. He grinned like a deranged psychopath, a terrible expression that extinguished the fires of battle in many of the lesser cohorts. They began to whisper behind the pair of Fairy Tail wizards, though Gajeel's draconic hearing could still hear them wondering _'who is this guy?'_ and _'how did he survive that?'_

"Not bad, that magic of yours. But it'll take more than that to take me out. Gihi!"

"Then it's a good thing I have back-up."

He had barely finished his statement before the other members of the gang began to advance threateningly, emboldened by their larger numbers, and closed around the pair in a tight ring of bodies. Levy stepped back prudently to stand back-to-back with the Dragon Slayer.

"Stay back and let me handle this," he whispered.

"No way."

"What?" Gajeel spared a quick, shocked glance at her over his shoulder.

"I refuse to stand here and be a spectator in my own mission!" she seethed, low enough that only he could hear.

"Fine! But don't complain when I say 'I told you so'!"

Levy nodded, turning back to face the group, and studied the six men that surrounded her side. Four held swords; it was a safe bet that they could requip like Erza. _Well, not quite like Erza_, she laughed internally. Finally, all those tough training sessions with Titania would come in handy. The remaining two, who seemed to be twins… she couldn't make anything of them until the real fight began.

"So you wanna fight, baby?" one of the swordsmen shouted, throwing himself at her.

With remarkable agility, she dodged the blade and kicked him in the torso, making him stagger back a few meters. Seeing the others preparing to attack as well, she raised a hand, index finger glowing with blue script. The flunkies stared at her, mystified by this new, unknown kind of magic, but ultimately continued their assault, weapons bared.

"_Solid Script, Fire!"_

Faster than they could see, she traced the word in the air before her. Orange letters spelled it out, flaming and blazing, and with a quick flick of her wrist, Levy sent the word flying toward them. The attack struck two of them square in the face and then burst into a fireball.

The two men collapsed to the ground, screaming in pain, burns scalding their bodies, and they sank into unconsciousness before they the horrified eyes of their remaining comrades. A tall, red-haired man was the first to recover, requipping matching short swords, and he rushed her, yelling profanities.

"_Solid Script, Thunder!"_

Once more, a word was traced in the air and launched toward him before he could react. He had barely opened his mouth when the spell crashed into his chest, the jolting electricity sending him into violent spasms. Purple foam bubbled down his chin and he collapsed, thoroughly fried.

A sharp sound from behind her told Levy yet another someone was attacking, exchanging a simple katana for a gigantic, razor-sharp axe. In an instant, a violent squall whirled out from a large-lettered "Wind," and he, too, collapsed as he was thrown against a rock. Levy drew a long, bracing breath, feeling her magical reserves beginning to drain after such rapid-fire combat spells, but in that one moment, a strong pair of hands caught hold of her shoulders and spun her roughly around.

A blond-haired woman stood face to face with Levy, and, grinning with gleeful malice, she violently threw a knee into her stomach. Levy moaned and curled in on herself, reflexively clutching her abdomen. The woman continued the assault, grabbing a fistful of blue hair and pulling viciously. She made to strike Levy's exposed face, but a great iron pillar blindsided her, smashing into her arm, and she shrieked as the bone shattered. Her battered body slammed into the dirt a good distance away, and she lay still, unconscious.

"Shut up, bitch," Gajeel growled harshly. He vaulted over other fallen flunkies to Levy's side. She attempted to gasp out her thanks, but he merely snorted, his eyes already tracking the movements of the last of his opponents. His right arm flashed, now resembling some sort of chainsaw, and with a roar he threw himself at the two. Levy took advantage of him momentary protection to regain her feet, but it seemed her own work wasn't quite done, either.

"So, sweetie. Wanna play with _us_, now?"

She turned and found the twins. In the heat of the melee, she had completely forgotten about them, and now she would have to face them, still without any clue to their powers, while they had seen hers. Cursing silently, she wiped blood from her mouth and struck a defensive stance. In these few precious seconds, she tried again to glean any new information on them._ They're twins. Twins with perfectly shaved heads._ She sighed, trying to get her frenzied mind to focus on any _pertinent_ information. Of course, she'd have no trouble figuring them out once they attacked, but that required them to make the first move, something they didn't seem eager to do.

"You gonna keep staring at us like that or what, doll?" the first twin laughed.

"Yeah, I know! You waiting for the grass to grow?" the second chimed in.

And there it was: her opening. They were impatient, and Levy knew just how to deal with that. She rolled her eyes dramatically and affected her most neutral, flat voice.

"Nope. You're both just too boring."

The reaction was immediate: the taller twin swore and rushed her, leaving his brother behind. Levy raised her hand to invoke another spell, but before she could gather the necessary power, thick, rough ropes appeared from beneath her. In an instant, she was bound tightly enough to completely prevent movement. Grimacing in pain, she attempted to struggle, but stopped as she found the ropes tightening with every bid for freedom. The man's approach slowed from a blind charge to that of a predator to his cornered prey. He stopped when his face was mere centimeters away from hers, a dangerous smile playing across his lips. Levy held his gaze and demanded he let her go. He stepped back, bursting into laughter.

"Hey, Tsujoshi, you hear that? She wants us to let her go!"

"Yeah, I heard." The second twin strode forward to join his brother. "Tsumoshi, wanna show her what we can do?"

"Oh, yeah! You're going to learn how to talk to us properly, baby!"

Levy realized exactly how bad of a predicament she had gotten into when the two knelt and started a complex series of hand signs. The ropes did indeed begin to remove themselves from her body, but only to twine together into a massive fist. The rope construction punched her moments later, sending her flying backward to land heavily. She bit her tongue, face pressed against the dusty, rocky ground, trying to contain the scream of pain fighting to escape. Gajeel would take it as a sign that she needed help, and she wouldn't allow that. She was perfectly capable of fighting these guys on her own. She just had to figure out how…

Her mind suddenly clicked pieces together, and she stood, a daring glimmer shining through her dirty, blood-stained face. She would show them why brains were just as deadly as brawn.

"_Solid Script: Water!"_

The word appeared and liquefied, swirling into her palm, where its mass seemed to multiply. She thrust her hands forward, and a towering wave crashed into the twins. The water subsided, and her heart skipped a beat as both men remained, badly buffeted but still standing. The second one, who still had yet to attack, laughed aloud again, and thrust his own hand at her.

"_Thunder Magic, Electric Whip!"_

His magic, faster than hers, immediately produced a thin whip of lightning, and he cracked it into the puddle-riddled ground beneath her feet. Levy attempted to leap clear, but other twin had already conjured two more ropes around her ankles, tying her in place. She should have screamed for help – Gajeel might still be able to make it into time to help – but she couldn't, she didn't. She stubbornly refused to call him.

And so she did the last thing she could: she concentrated her remaining magic and…

"_Solid Script: Dynamite!"_

The blast shook the whole area, drawing both Gajeel and his opponent's attention. He watched with horror as his partner collapsed to the muddy ground, spitting red, covered in wounds. His blood ran hot and he clenched his jaw, whirling on the two dark mages remaining.

"Oh. The poor thing," one stated sarcastically.

"Still, she beat Tsujoshi and Tsumoshi," the giant conceded. "She's a mess now, though. You think she's going to die?"

Eyes wide, Gajeel began to shake in fury. His pupils dilated until they were slits, his teeth sharpened into fangs, and his ragged breaths transformed into echoing growls, growing into a tremendous roar. The ground beneath him cracked, a deep green aura lighting the area, growing brighter and brighter, until his body was covered in grey iron scales. His top ripped, claws extended from his hands, his legs bent and he jumped, launching himself at the colossus who had no time to counter.

"_Iron Dragon Hard Fist!"_

The man was crushed into the ground, his ribs broken and his body lifeless. Gajeel turned his blood-red eyes to the tall blond, the last remaining threat, but he simply stood smiling. Wasn't he afraid? Wasn't he terrified of this man – no, this monster – that had just killed his friend in a single blow?

The man screeched, practically a roar of his own. It morphed into insane laughter as his right arm changed into a huge double-edged blade.

"Well, well. You managed to kill Koichi," he shrugged.

"And now it's your turn," Gajeel growled.

"To be perfectly honest, I didn't think you were quite that strong, Gajeel Redfox. Or rather… _Blacksteel Gajeel." _(1)

"S-shut up… DON'T YOU CALL ME THAT!"

The Dragon Slayer made to throw himself at the leader again, but the blond disappeared into a cloud of thick violet smoke. Gajeel cursed, wondering if he really had run away, when he heard a familiar, feminine scream. He whirled around and saw liana vines twining around Levy's body, squeezing what little life she had left from her. The thug was standing beside her, hand playing with her fine blue hair, enjoying the pained groans that escaped her.

"LET HER GO!"

Gajeel ran, throwing a metal fist toward the smirking blonde's face. The man clipped one of the blue locks free, whispering sensually in her ear before catching sight of the massive iron pillar flying toward him. Instinctively he leapt back to disappear once more.

The green vines retracted as well, releasing Levy's battered body to collapse into Gajeel. He kept up against himself, arm still transformed, searching for any sign that the creep still lurked in the shadows. Finally, he deemed the fight well and truly over, reverting back to his natural form.

"Bastard's gone… Oi, you alright, Shrimp?" he asked with thinly veiled concern.

"Don't… call me that…"

"If you're able to complain, that must mean you're good to go, huh?"

In answer, he was relieved to hear a small groan, and he smiled. Really, this girl was nothing short of a natural phenomenon. Who would have thought he'd get so worked up playing bodyguard for a shorty?

"Can you walk?"

"I… don't think so…" Levy winced, breathing heavily.

"How about just standing on your own?"

"Y-yeah…"

"Good. Wait here, I'll be right back."

Carefully, Gajeel picked his way across the war-torn battleground to gather their forgotten bags; as he returned, he noticed something. Lots of somethings… like dozens of eyes on his back. He turned his head and saw a crowd of train passengers on the top of the next rise over. The Dragon slayer sighed, preferring not to deal with the thankful mob. It hadn't been as if he had _wanted_ to fight. _Don't lie; you always want to fight!_ But all he had intended to do here was protect his "partner," and he had failed miserably.

Levy had begun to pant with fatigue as he came up, her magic reserves completely drained. It was incredible that she was even standing after that rapid-fire magic duel and the near electrocution. She hadn't died, but she should have passed out long ago. Suddenly, she felt her legs give way underneath her and she staggered back.

"Whoa, hey!" Gajeel yelled, throwing an arm around her waist. "Don't lock your knees like that, yeah?"

She mumbled an incoherent excuse and thanked him, her cheeks slightly red. Who would have thought that someday, Levy would find herself gently held in this man's arms? Not her, that's for sure. But what was he doing now? She gasped as she felt him plant one of his hands on her thighs. _Oh, hell no,_ she thought.

"Oh my god!" he exclaimed, feigning enormous effort as he hefted her into the air and out of her awkward train of thought. "You're freaking heavy!"

"Liar! I am not!" she protested.

"And you say I have a short temper! Seriously, are you sure you're normal? It's like I'm carrying a pillow or something!"

"Put me down." She resorted back to her previous methods of dealing with Gajeel - w_hack, whack – _and met with the same results.

"You can't walk, you idiot!"

"Would you stop yelling? My head hurts."

He sighed and frowned down into her face.

"If you don't stop complaining, I'm going to leave you behind in the mud."

"Oh, yeah?" Levy smirked crookedly through the pain. "And go where?"

"To Crocus, of course," Gajeel shrugged, slowly and gingerly despite his threats.

"And just _how_ do you plan to do that?"

He stared at her as if the answer was obvious; after a second, he shifted slightly so that she faced a dozen or so large motorcycles near the train tracks. Levy wanted to argue, but instead admitted defeat, deciding to fall silent and follow him – or rather, to finally allow him to carry her. It wasn't like she could fight Gajeel, and especially not in her current sorry state.

"Fine," she grumbled.

"Good, 'cause I smell the Royal Army not too far off," he frowned again, sniffing brusquely.

"Then we'd better go, huh?"

"Yeah…"

With that, the two carefully climbed aboard one of the bikes, roaring off toward Fiore's capitol on the mission that was already more than Levy had bargained for.

~~0~~0~~0~~

Fairy Tail's celestial spirit mage allowed herself a deep, bracing breath before knocking three times on the door in front of her. Hearing a faint reply, she swung it open, stepping inside and carefully shutting it again. Her stomach rolled as the musty air struck her full force, and she frantically threw open the nearest window. Gulping in the fresher air from outside, she finally turned and grinned at the room's two occupants.

"I feel sorry for you, boys; the hospital really sucks."

"You got that right," one groaned.

"Well, except for the nurses!" the second replied with a grin.

Laughing softly, Lucy set her bag on the ground, taking a seat between the two beds that had, for the last month or so, been home to Team Shadow Gear's two male members. Normally, both of them would have left long before now but, being Jet and Droy, they had played the fools and had attempted to impress Levy for the umpteenth time. This had ultimately ending in the two falling down the stairs before they had even set foot outside of the ward, and they had been immediately readmitted for two more weeks - Jet with a broken leg, Droy with a badly dislocated shoulder.

"Lucy." The dark-haired of the two began. "Are you alright?"

"Y-yeah! Yes!" she squeaked.

"So then why're you so pale all of a sudden?"

Lucy immediately looked away, inwardly cursing her best friend who had been so kind as to leave her in this terrible predicament. _Why am I always the one who gets stuck in these kinds of situations? _ she ranted in her head, inner fists raised to the heavens in protest. Biting her lip, she tucked a stray lock behind her ear and firmly locked her gazed on Jet's cast.

"Oy. Lucy." Droy prodded again.

"O-…okay, but first, you have to promise not to shoot the messenger, alright?" she wailed, thoroughly embarrassed.

"We promised!" they answered in perfect unison, crossing their hearts.

"Alright… well… how do I put this-?"

"Just spill already!" Jet interjected. "Anyways, it's not like it's something that's going to kill us, right? So…" he prompted, and Lucy let the dam burst, her words gushing out of her mouth and washing over the two men like a flashflood.

She sighed in relief as the last trickle of news dripped from her lips, and she stretched gently, glad to be done with the torture. She glanced over and saw both Jet and Droy's faces stretched into surprised gapes, and her earlier discomfort returned with a vengeance.

"W-what!" she asked, stammering as they continued to stare at her in disbelief.

"Uh… you talked so fast… can- can you repeat that?"

"Well, Gajeel and Levy-"

"Gajeel and Levy what?" Droy urged, leaning in further.

"They-… they just left on a mission together, dammit!" Lucy shrieked, unable to contain herself any more.

Droy's jaw dropped and his eyes teared up, and Jet attempted to jump out of bed.

"WHAT?"

The leg cast splintered, eliciting a cry of pain from Jet that brought a fleet of nurses running into the room. They ordered Lucy to stop riling up their patients and to leave immediately, and she hastened to obey, ignoring the loud protests coming from the men who were most likely scarred for life by what they had just heard. _Theirlovely teammate, gone with the man they could never forgive…_

"LET ME GO! I'M GOING TO KILL HIM! LUCY, COME BACK HERE!"

"THAT DAMN BASTARD! IF HE EVEN TOUCHES LEVY-CHAN, HE'S DEAD!"

Lucy sighed yet again; of course, she had expected something like that to happen, but hadn't they _just_ promised her not to overreact? Honestly, she didn't think those two would ever change.

~~0~~0~~0~~

"How can you be _this_ stupid? I'm going to kill you!"

Itsuki easily dodged the hand that came rocketing toward his face, escaping to hide behind a wicker chair. His coworker was choleric at the best of times, and today seemed to be one of her bad days. This time, however, he hadn't done anything wrong, though he had still incurred her wrath. Honestly, it didn't take much to set her off, but he supposed that was part of her charm, maybe….

"Whoa!" he shrieked, lunging to the left to narrowly avoid the table she had thrown at him. "Freaking crazy woman!"

The distinctive _click-click_ of geta on the wooden floor caught the young man's attention and he immediately snapped up straight as a soldier at inspection. Before him now stood a little old lady, draped in a pale blue yukata, silver hair swept into an impeccably tight bun. Her face was furrowed with by the wrinkles of her advanced age, but she still exuded a sense of absolute calm and incomparable wisdom. Her eyes, however, shone at this moment with an almost child-like malice. [2]

"I don't care who started what," she declared in a remarkably steady voice, "but we are in a hotel, _not_ a carnival! You are single-handedly disturbing the peace, as well as the clients! I am here to ask you to please settle down; otherwise, some jewels might just disappear from your next paycheck. Clear?"

The old woman threw both of her employees a stony glare in turn as they immediately fell silent. As she turned to the man, her fierce eyes narrowed.

"Besides, where _were_ you, Itsuki-kun? You were an hour late-!"

"I'm sorry, ma'am!" he cried, bowing. "I promise to be on time from now on!"

"You'd better be." She allowed the ghost of a smile to flicker across her face. "Anyway, you're in luck; our guests are going to be late."

"Really?" Itsuki dared to slowly stand, scratching his head in wonder.

"Yes. Seems they had a problem with the train. Ah, well! It's none of our business, after all! Our job is to make sure that everything is perfect once they get _here_. Speaking of which, I'm counting on you two to take care of our newlyweds!"

Her glare locked back onto the young woman.

"And for once, Sue-chan, I beg you: be _hospitable!"_

"Yes, ma'am."

Sue's lips curved down into a tiny pout as she turned o her coworker, large violet eyes burning into him. When she wanted to, Sue could be nice – kind, even – but most of the time she was downright irritable. But seeing as she had once been a powerful mage, this was almost excusable.

Fuming over their boss's lack of chastising Istuki's tardiness, as well as her own attitude being called out, she crossed her deeply tanned arms, huffing quietly and nervously shaking a strand of olive hair from her face. Justas she was about to ask what exactly they were supposed to do until the couple's arrival, the door chime tinkled from the front entry.

The old manager swiftly flicked her robe straight and lifted her chin, eyes sparkling and a happy grin on her thin lips, ready to welcome the new clients into her little inn. It may be small, true, but it was famous! Throwing a quick glance at her two young employees, who were currently still glaring at each other, she finally turned to the entry.

Her mouth dropped open as her eye found, not two smiling patrons, but a young man and woman in an appalling state of disrepair. She frowned angrily, ignoring their pitiful state and fixating on the shoes the two had yet to remove. Forget hospitality; this was unforgivable! Inhaling deeply in preparation of the rant she was about to unleash about these two rude wretches who had dared to walk into _her_ inn and dirty _her_ parquet, she finally grasped the truth of the situation; these two were seriously hurt.

A hoarse growl rasped from the man's throat, a colossal black-haired man carrying a tiny, fragile-looking blue-haired girl in his arms, and the sound rang through the hall, shaking the walls. He staggered, having struck his head on the doorway, and muttered a string of profanities. Sue, hand over her mouth, stepped back in surprise, sure she was dreaming. Recognizing the latest curse, she took a chance.

"Ga-..Gajeel?"

She had said it quickly and quietly, but anyone who knew her could hear the hope in her voice, as if she wanted with all her heart for it to really be him. The man slowly looked up, and as his strange red eyes fixed on Sue, a mix of surprise and confusion flashed across his face. At his reaction, she allowed herself a beaming smile, eyes crinkling in happiness.

"I don't believe it!" she exclaimed, giggling in spite of herself. "What happ-"

Sue broke off abruptly as she finally noticed the girl h held. Her hands fell limp to her side, and she openly stared at her with horrified recognition. If she weren't so proud, Sue's shaking, heavy legs would have given way, and she might even have shed a few tears... But she _was_ proud, incredibly so, and she remained standing, though her pride couldn't stop the sickening wave of memories that swelled up inside of her

"Sue, do you know him?" Itsuki asked, worried.

She nodded silently, tearing her eyes away to stare instead at her feet. A split second later, as if he could read her mind, he wrapped one long arm around her shoulders, whispering calm, soothing words. A light wave of warmth washed over Sue; she wasn't used to this kind of understanding from someone she considered an incurable idiot.

The elderly proprietor threw a questioning glance at the young woman, then rushed to the side of the two battered clients, squawking and flapping like a frightened hen.

"Good God, what happened? You're hurt! Itsuki-kun, Sue-chan! I need your help, please! This poor girl needs serious medical care! Don't worry, sir; your wife is in good hands with us!"

"Uh, she's not my-"

"But Good God, _what happened to you?"_

~~0~~0~~0~~

**[1]** Okay, so Suki originally had the thug call him _Kurogane no Gajeel_, the equivalent of calling Natsu _Salamander._ Blacksteel is how I've translated it, as I've been using the translated spell names and such. I personally like this translation better than Funimation's "Iron Gajeel", as _kurogane_ actually translates directly to _black steel_, and is essentially a poetic name for iron, like _quicksilver_ is for mercury. And I like the sound of that as a title. I apologize if you like the other versions, but I'm sticking with this. :P

**[2]** In case you don't know your Japanese fashions: _geta_ - a form of traditional Japanese footwear that resemble both cloga andflip-flops. They are a kind of sandal with an elevated wooden base held onto the foot with a fabric thong to keep the foot well above the ground. _Yukata _- a Japanese garment, a casual summer kimono usually made of cotton. Like other forms of traditional Japanese clothing, yukata are made with straight seams and wide sleeves. Unlike formal kimono, which are made of silk, yukata are typically made of cotton or synthetic fabrics, and are unlined.

Thanks to Wikipedia for the much-better wording than I would have used! :)

**Editor's Note:**

**Hey there, it's Evil Midget Turtle again. Sorry this chapter took so long! Suki's original chapters were all around 12-16 pages **_**single-spaced**_**, so I had been trying to break them in half before now. This one, however, had that really long battle scene, and by the time that was finished, I only had the scene with Lucy, Jet and Droy and the last one with Sue in the hotel before the end of her chapter, so I just finished it up. That and I had 5 different college final projects, some with multiple parts. But it's summer now, and I should be getting them out quicker. If you guys would like to have me work on any of Medley's other stories, leave it in a comment and I'll try to start on the most requested one. Otherwise, I'm going to try to work on my own stuff. Cheers!**


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